Afghanistan, which this year saw the first democratic transfer of power from one president to another, had great potential, through its new unified Government, to serve as a hub for connectivity and trade across Asia and thus enhance the development and prosperity of the entire region, delegates heard today as the General Assembly unanimously adopted a draft resolution on the situation in that country.
The Security Council this morning resolved to make policing an integral part of the mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, where appropriate, in its first-ever stand-alone resolution on the topic.
The General Assembly would reaffirm that international trade was an engine for development and sustained economic growth, benefiting all countries at all stages of development, according to the terms of one of four draft resolutions approved today by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial).
The United Nations regular budget for the biennium 2016-2017 would increase by almost $160 million, or 2.9 per cent, from the current two-year period, to reach a record $5.7 billion, primarily due to the need to support new special political missions, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today.
The Palestinian Rights Committee today approved four draft resolutions relating to the question of Palestine, as it considered the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as all violence against civilians, be they Palestinian or Israeli.
With thousands of foreign terrorist fighters traveling to conflict countries, and groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS) garnering hefty revenues from new illegal sources, the Security Council today urged States, the United Nations and other partners to target the root causes of terrorism as they redoubled efforts to eradicate that scourge in all its forms and manifestations.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved three draft resolutions today, including one on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in a meeting marked by heated discussion.
The United Nations top official for Iraq today urged continuance of, and support to, the new unity Government’s efforts to push forward reconciliation and security efforts that he said were beginning to succeed in countering the brutal onslaught of terrorist forces.
The Economic and Social Council, in one of five texts adopted today, called on the Haitian Government to fully operationalize the External Aid Coordination Framework and its mechanisms in keeping with the road map adopted in 2014.
Differences on human rights issues should be resolved through constructive dialogue and not confrontational politically motivated actions, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it concluded its discussion on the Human Rights Report and took action on a package of draft resolutions on human rights questions and situations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syria and Iran.
